1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to receiving equipment and a method of using the same, whereby a channel switching to a desired channel can be done swiftly.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the analog television broadcasting, to select a channel means to tune a reception frequency for receiving a signal transmitted through a broadcasting radio wave and the like to a frequency of a desired channel, namely, performing a tuning. Tuning the reception frequency to a carrier frequency of a desired channel will produce pictures and sounds of the channel almost instantaneously.
When switching channels in a sequential order by a plus/minus key, even continuing pressing the plus/minus key will select channels sequentially channel by channel, and produce pictures and sounds corresponding to the selected channel almost instantaneously. Thus, while confirming channel numbers and pictures and sounds of the channels, a desired channel can be selected.
In a digital television broadcasting using a satellite, it is conceivable of switching channels sequentially by the plus/minus key.
However, in the digital television broadcasting in which pictures and sounds are transmitted in a compressed format, the receiving side has to expand the compressed pictures and sounds. Therefore, when continuing pressing the plus/minus key, it takes, for example, two to three seconds until pictures and sounds broadcast by the switched channel and channel number display appear on the output. Therefore, it takes rather a long time to switch a channel by continuously pressing the plus/minus key.